The invention is generally concerned with the packaging and dispensing of flowable material, and more particularly relates to a cap construction which allows for selective and controlled access to and discharge of material through independently manipulable closure elements with cooperating components.
In the dispensing of a wide range of flowable products, for example flour, grated cheese, spices, and the like, is frequently desirable to provide for both a sprinkling discharge of the material and a bulk discharge thereof. This is accommodated by the provision of selectively accessible discharge ports, one of which may consist of a plurality of small sprinkling apertures, and another which may include one single enlarged opening through which the material can be poured or spoon fed.
In order to accommodate such diverse selectively usable discharge ports, it is known to provide a cap rotatably mounted on the container for a selective exposure of the ports.
Alternatively, the cap may incorporate dual closures or lids, each associated with a different port and selectively movable to expose the port. An example of such a construction will be noted in the spice container of Hidding, U.S. Pat. No. 4,369,901, issued Jan. 25, 1983. In Hidding, each of the closure elements is separately hingedly or pivotally mounted and includes a protuberance which snap-locks into a niche. A separate protuberance and niche combination is provided for each of the closure elements to selectively lock the closure elements in an open position.
A similar cover or cap with multiple pivoted closure elements will also be seen in U.S. Pat. No. Des. 200,270, issued to Waterman on Feb. 9, 1965.
Such covers, as suggested in the Hidding patent, will advantageously be fabricated as a unitary structure from a suitable, molding grade thermoplastic resin, such as polyethylene, the particular nature of the material allowing for the formation of integral hinges along grooves or areas of reduced thickness formed therein. The formation of hinges in this manner is well known and will also be noted in the following patents:
______________________________________ 3,289,877 Wolf December 6, 1966 3,629,901 Wolf December 28, 1971 4,457,458 Heinol July 3, 1984 ______________________________________